a b s t r a c t
This study examines the areal extent and status of mangrove forests in a West African region prioritized
in contemporary conservation, climate change, and livelihood initiatives. The focus is the transnational
region of the western coastal section of The Gambia and Senegal located between the Gambia and
Casamance Rivers. Remote sensing applied to Landsat images of the interfluvial region in 1986 and
2010 indicates a 35% decline in overall mangrove coverage for the study area with sub-regions of
pronounced loss. There was a 12% decline along the south bank of the lower Gambia River and a 43%
decrease in coverage between the Gambian border and the Casamance River. Mangrove loss reached
92% in the northern section of Casamance south of the international border between Senegal and The
Gambia. Fieldwork suggests that the mangrove decline over the study period is in part driven by the
growing firewood demand of urban centers. The remote-sensing analysis, complemented by fieldwork
in the region, attributes the negative trends to the Gambian demand for firewood, political instability
in Casamance, and a porous international border that facilitates illegal cutting and smuggling.
a b s t r a c tThis study examines the areal extent and status of mangrove forests in a West African region prioritizedin contemporary conservation, climate change, and livelihood initiatives. The focus is the transnationalregion of the western coastal section of The Gambia and Senegal located between the Gambia andCasamance Rivers. Remote sensing applied to Landsat images of the interfluvial region in 1986 and2010 indicates a 35% decline in overall mangrove coverage for the study area with sub-regions ofpronounced loss. There was a 12% decline along the south bank of the lower Gambia River and a 43%decrease in coverage between the Gambian border and the Casamance River. Mangrove loss reached92% in the northern section of Casamance south of the international border between Senegal and TheGambia. Fieldwork suggests that the mangrove decline over the study period is in part driven by thegrowing firewood demand of urban centers. The remote-sensing analysis, complemented by fieldworkin the region, attributes the negative trends to the Gambian demand for firewood, political instabilityin Casamance, and a porous international border that facilitates illegal cutting and smuggling.
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